Attending Chicago Cubs games at the Friendly Confines is a North Side tradition. Beyond Chicago, Wrigley Field identifies a rite of passage for all sports fans to enjoy pure baseball. These hallowed grounds are synonymous with ivy walls, the Billy Goat, bleacher seats, Loveable Losers, Ernie Banks, Harry Caray, and of course, The Curse.
Located at Clark and Addison, Chicago Cubs games are also a traffic nightmare. Expect bumper-to-bumper, stop and go traffic, upon all major roads and highways leading into the North Side between the North Shore suburbs and Chicago Loop. For that reason, you would be much better served to take public transportation, and hop on the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Red Line to Addison for Wrigley Field.
Suburbanites and out-of-towners, however, may feel more comfortable making the drive for Cubs baseball. Even Chicago City slickers may ditch the train, in favor of the family car, from time to time. Be advised, the drive to Wrigley Field on Game Day is not for the faint of heart.
Driving Directions to Wrigley Field From the Far North Side, North Shore, and Southeast Wisconsin:
Your goal when coming from the immediate north is to avoid the I-90/94 – Kennedy Expressway. U.S. 41 – Lake Shore Drive to IL 19 – Irving Park Road is the fastest option into Wrigleyville from this direction.
Chicago area lakefront communities should merge onto Lake Shore Drive heading south at Hollywood / Sheridan, Foster Avenue, or Wilson Avenue. Chicago North Shore and Wisconsin fans will take the I-94 – Tri-State Tollway / Edens Expressway into Chicago’s Far North Side. From there, this Cubs traffic should exit at U.S. 14 Peterson Avenue, heading east towards Lake Michigan. Take U.S. 14 for three miles, until making a slight right onto Ridge Avenue. Follow Ridge for one mile, before making a left turn onto Hollywood. Hollywood feeds directly into Lake Shore Drive, which is an eight-lane parkway along Lake Michigan.
Lake Shore Drive is relatively free of traffic between Chicago’s Uptown and Lakeview neighborhoods. You will follow Lake Shore Drive for three exits past its entrance until the IL 19 – Irving Park Road exits. Come off the Drive at IL 19, but keep straight on the service road across the Irving Park Road traffic lights. You will follow the Inner Drive, or the Lake Shore Drive service road for one-half mile, until Addison Avenue. Turn right on Addison and take this street towards Clark. You will drive beneath the “el” platform, before the Friendly Confines and marquee quickly emerge on your right-out of the dense North Side cityscape.
Driving Directions to Wrigley Field From the Northwest:
This is the most wretched drive into Wrigley Field. Cubs fans from the Northwest are forced to take the maddening I-90 Northwest Tollway into the Kennedy Expressway for Wrigley Field. These roads are constantly congested-beginning at the O’Hare exits and tollbooth bottlenecks. (I have driven every major city in America, and The Kennedy, Cross Bronx, and 405 Freeway are the worst roads that I have seen.)
Chicago area traffic merges onto the I-90 Kennedy from I-290 and I-294. Meanwhile, Wisconsin drivers can pick up the Interstate in Madison, Janesville, or Beloit. I-90 is a relatively narrow six-lanes across heading into the City. The road ultimately merges with I-94 at The Junction and widens to eight lanes in the mainline-with two reversible express lanes in the median for through traffic. (Do not go into express lanes.)
At this point, you will bear right for IL 19 – Irving Park Road. Exit at Irving Park and take a left at the traffic lights to head east. Irving Park Road is four lanes across, and allows you to bypass North Side congestion, somewhat. Take Irving Park Road for three miles until Clark Street. Turn right on Clark for Wrigley Field.
Driving Directions to Wrigley Field From the Near North Side, Loop, West Side, and South Side:
You want to make a beeline over to U.S. 41 – Lake Shore Drive to avoid I-90 / 94 and Chicago Loop traffic as much as possible. From there, you should actually take 41 North, until Irving Park Road, and backtrack to Addison Street for Wrigley Field. Take 41 to Irving-because the Belmont exits off Lake Shore Drive are always a completely jam-packed funhouse.
South Side drivers can pick up 41 North via Stony Island Avenue to Cornell through Jackson Park. Southwest Side fans coming from Midway will take the I-55 – Stevenson into the City for the U.S. 41 North merge.
Meanwhile, Loop and West Side traffic will head directly east for Lake Shore Drive. I-290 transitions into Congress Parkway downtown. From there, you will take a left at Columbus Drive, and a quick right on Jackson Drive for U.S. 41 Lake Shore Drive North. 41 is signaled downtown, so you will be making a left to head north.
Take Lake Shore Drive for three miles north-past downtown and the Gold Coast for the Lakeview neighborhood. Exit at IL 19 – Irving Park Road, and turn left at the traffic lights to head west. You will travel beneath the 41 bridge, and make a quick left on the Lake Shore Drive service road.
Head south on the service road for one-half mile. Turn right on Addison Street for Cubs baseball at the Friendly Confines. Wrigley’s iconic marquee appears within one mile-to your right at Clark and Addison.
Play Ball.
Driving Directions to Wrigley Field, Sources:
Kofi Bofah, How to Take Public Transportation to Wrigley Field, http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1588175/how_to_use_public_transportation_to.html?cat=16
Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field, http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/chc/ballpark/index.jsp
Chicago Cubs, Chicago Cubs Tickets, http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/ticketing/index.jsp?c_id=chc
